schmedlef



(No Model.)

T. OBRIEN & W. H. SGHMEDLEN.

ROAD CART. No. 341,498. Patented May 11, 1886.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS OBRIEN AND XVILLIAM H. SGHMEDLEN, OF COLDXVATER, MIOH.

ROAD-CA RT.

HPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 341,498, dated May 11, 1886.

Application filed February 17, 1886. Serial No. 192,262. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that we, THOMAS QBRIEN and WILLIAM H. SoHMEDLEN, citizens of the United States, residing at Goldwater, in the county of Branch and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Road-Carts; and we do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to sulkies or roadcarts; and it has for its object to produce a simple means for attaching the seat and footrest to the shafts, whereby the jolting of the horse common to such vehicles is in a measare prevented from being transmitted to the rider.

With such ends in view it consists in the novel features hereinafter specifically recited, claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure I is a plan view of a snlky of my construction adapted to carry out my invention, the wheels being removed and the forward portion of the shafts being broken away. Fig. 2 is a side view. Fig. 3 is a detail section on the line 00 at, Fig. 2, of one pole of the shafts.

The shafts A are of ordinary construction, and are attached at their rear ends to the axle B in the usual manner, and are braced by the cross-bar O in a way well understood.

Seat-bars D are pivotally supported between their ends on the cross-bar near each end thereof. The front ends of the seat-bars terminate directly above the poles of the shafts, and are connected therewith by plates F, shackles G, and springs H. The shackles are each composed of two plates, g, one on each side of a pole of the shafts, and having their ends connected above and below said pole by bolts f and h, respectively, which bolts also serve to connect said ends of the plates to the platesF and spring H, as shown. The plates are of a sufficient length to permit thesbafts to have a slight vertical play between the bolts f and it without imparting any unpleasant motion to the driver.

In order that no sudden thrust maybe com municated to the seat-bars in a lateral direction by the shafts striking the plates of the shackles,and also to permit said shafts to have a slight lateral play, the plates near their middle are outwardly flared, thus leaving a space on each side of the shafts between them and the plates 9, as most clearly shown in Fig. 3. A foot-rest is suspended from opposite. ends of the seat-bars, and is composed of bars or straps I, curved, as shown, and secured at each end to opposite ends of the seat bars, said straps being united by cross-slots.

The seat E is attached to the rear ends of the seat-bars, and serves as a tie to hold said ends at a relative distance apart.

In practice the seat-bars have a gentle seesaw or rocking motion, which is pleasant and soothing comparably with the violent motion so often experienced when riding on such vehicles.

Heretoforc the seat-bars of sulkies have been pivoted between their ends,and the front ends of such seat-bars have each been connected by a link with the end of a spring fastened to the under side of the shafts. Such construction being old is not claimed as a part of our invention, which differs essentially therefrom, as specifically claimed. I

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is v 1. The combination of the shafts having seat-bars pivotally supported thereon at a point between their ends and having the forward ends of such bars terminating directly above the shafts, springs secured to the under side of the shafts,and shackles each composed of two outwardly and oppositely flared plates extending one on each side of and embracing the poles of the shafts, and connecting the front ends of the seat-bars with the springs,

whereby the shafts are free to have a lateral play independently of the seatbars, as described.

2. The combination of the shafts, seat-bars having their front ends directly above the poles of the shafts and pivoted thereto between the front and TOM ends,springs secured In testimony whereof we affix our signatures to the under side of the shafts, shackles corn in presence of two Witnesses. prising two plates each oppositely flared near their middles and embracing the poles of THOMAS OBRIEN. 5 the shafts, and connecting the front ends of WILLIAM H. SCHMEDLEN.

the bars with the springs, and a footrest consisting of curved bars secured at each end Witnesses: to and suspended directly from opposite ends JAMES R. DICKEY,

of the seat-bars, substantially as shown and AGNEs GIBSON. IO described. 

